Locals are excited Early is returning home

Pine Bush grad will be playing at Knicks' MSG

Former SUNY Sullivan coach Kevin DeVantier was alongside Cleanthony Early at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Brooklyn during the exhilarating moment late Thursday night when he was selected by the Knicks in the second round of the NBA draft.

Comment

By JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

recordonline.com

By JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

Posted Jun. 27, 2014 at 11:31 PM
Updated Jun 27, 2014 at 11:55 PM

By JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ

Posted Jun. 27, 2014 at 11:31 PM
Updated Jun 27, 2014 at 11:55 PM

» Social News

Former SUNY Sullivan coach Kevin DeVantier was alongside Cleanthony Early at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club in Brooklyn during the exhilarating moment late Thursday night when he was selected by the Knicks in the second round of the NBA draft.

A day later, there is still a buzz in the mid-Hudson about Early, a former Pine Bush High and SUNY Sullivan star, coming home to play for Phil Jackson's Knicks.

"It couldn't have been written any better than this," said DeVantier, now an assistant coach at Division I Norfolk State. "You dream about playing in the NBA, but I can only imagine playing in Madison Square Garden. I think this is perfect for Cleanthony and his mom (Sandra Glover). She can catch his games and be in his life. It's really exciting."

The Knicks are expected to introduce Early, a native of the Bronx, to the New York media during a conference call on Monday. Later next week, Early will move on to play for the Knicks in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Shortly after being selected by the Knicks with the 34th overall pick on Thursday, Early told the Times Herald-Record: "I feel motivated. I'm very, very motivated. This is awesome. It's great. I'm back in my city, where it all started. I can't wait for this opportunity. I'm very excited."

Early, who was unavailable for comment on Friday, is just the second local player to be selected in the NBA Draft. The Denver Nuggets took Liberty graduate Maurice "Mo" Martin in the first round (16th overall) of the 1986 draft out of St. Joseph's. An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in Martin's right knee cut short his NBA career.

Early, who led Wichita State in scoring with 16.4 points per game last season, was projected to be a late first-round pick by many different websites. He never flinched when the first round passed without NBA commissioner Adam Silver calling his name at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the draft was held. However, DeVantier said there was a lot of excitement in the room when the Knicks picked Early 34th overall.

"I'm blown away by this, I'm so glad he's coming home," Sullivan athletic director Chris DePew said. "How exciting is it? It's unbelievable. How cool is that our kid is playing for Phil Jackson? It's amazing. We are so thrilled for Cleanthony and excited to be able to see him play regularly."

As a second-round pick, Early won't receive a guaranteed contract — first-rounders get guaranteed deals. The rookie pay scale for late first-round picks is about $900,000. The NBA rookie minimum salary is $507,000 next year.

"It wasn't the first round like everyone expected, but his name was called out at the NBA Draft," DeVantier said. "This is a perfect fit for Cleanthony. Now, he has a chip on his shoulder and he is going to prove everyone wrong."

Until earlier this week, it appeared the Knicks would not have any draft picks. However, Jackson picked up two second-round picks (34th and 51st overall) when he traded Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks. The Knicks also acquired Samuel Dalembert, point guard Jose Calderon and guards Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington in the deal.

Middletown graduate Nick Smith played against Early in high school and, just like everyone else attached to the NBA prospect, was excited about the Knicks' new forward.

"The first thing I thought when I heard the Knicks took him was 'I have to go to a game.' It's crazy to think about," said Smith, who now stars at Division II Dominican College. "It's crazy that I played against him. I think it's great what Cleanthony has done. He was always a great player and pushed you hard. I'm glad to see his hard work paid off."